I have learned that “growing a garden” is one of the most enjoyable and fruitful things that you can do in ministry. In fact, I might be so bold as to say that unless you are working to train up and develop leaders in your church plant you probably aren’t being faithful to the biblical calling you have as a pastor or church planter.

Casting Vision Without Feeling Icky

I wanted to find a way to lead my church to do the things the Bible commanded us to do, but I wanted to stay away from embracing behaviors that were too forced, too pushy, too…icky. Which led me to some guiding practices. I’ve used this over the last six years, and they have helped me be faithful in leading our church without compromising my integrity.

The lack of certainty of a divine call to the ministry is one of the main reasons why approximately one-half of seminary students leave the ministry within 5 years after leaving the seminary. Without the assurance of God’s call on your life you will not make it in ministry. But while the ministry is a terrible vocation, it is a wonderful calling.

Are you a leader who wants to unify your church and dismantle the silos, politics, and turf wars that frustrate real ministry and mission? Then labor to help your people see beyond their own cardboard kingdoms and embrace the greater kingdom of God.

How Accepting Our Boundaries Frees us to Flourish as Pastors

In truth, we often experience conflict in our lives and leadership because of our own actions, insecurities, and ill-motivated decisions. Since this is true, it is important for leaders to learn to ponder the hardships they face by first looking internally at what might be driving conflict with others—including their own lack of character and/or competence.

Many of us were never trained in our formal education, internships, or perhaps even our associate roles how to lead a great ministry team meeting. This was something that became apparent to me as I stepped into lead a burgeoning team of strong leaders at my church. What follows here are hard knocks and necessary considerations, I believe, for a great ministry meeting.

Many times, those who lead ministries in small or rural churches let slide things like effective staff leadership, thinking such a practice is only the mandate for larger churches or churches in busier contexts. But if the small, rural church pastors neglect tending to their support leaders -- whether vocational or volunteer -- they can stifle the growth of their ministry